An interview with Khazar Isayev, the brother of the January 20th martyr and wrestler Mushfig Isayev, for Idman.biz.
- How do you remember your brother?
- Athletes have certain qualities that set them apart from others, and Mushfig had the traits of a true sportsman. He was bold by nature and could speak his mind anywhere. He was a very brave man. I remember when he applied to fight in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he couldn’t go there, and he did his military service elsewhere. During the events of the 90s, he was studying in Vladimir, Russia. When he heard about the situation, he immediately decided to return to Azerbaijan and do everything he could for his country. He came back. He was a patriot.
- It seems your brother’s love for sports came from your family.
- Yes. We grew up in a sports family. Our father was a wrestler. All four of us brothers were involved in wrestling. The love for wrestling came from our father. My older brother was the first to get good results. Later, I continued in professional sports. Mushfig achieved the rank of Sports Master in wrestling. He advanced to a certain level and then went to Vladimir for his education. If he had stayed here, he could have been as famous a sportsman as I am. However, during his time there, due to the conditions, he couldn't continue wrestling. Eventually, while studying, he started practicing boxing.
- Except for the last few years, a memorial tournament in honor of Mushfig Isayev used to be held regularly in our country. Could this tournament be organized again?
- Yes. We held the freestyle wrestling tournament dedicated to Mushfig’s memory for 23 consecutive years. Due to the restrictions imposed during the pandemic on indoor events, the tournament did not take place that year. Afterward, for various reasons, we couldn’t continue the tradition.
- Have you made any efforts to revive this initiative?
- I want to bring up the matter again. 23 years is not a short time, and most of Azerbaijan's wrestlers participated in this tournament, eventually making it to the national team. It's already late this year, but if possible, we could hold the tournament again next year. I have already approached the Wrestling Federation about this matter.
- Khazar, how do you remember that dreadful night? Who informed you of your brother’s martyrdom?
- I was in Agdash at that time. It was about 1:20 AM. I received a phone call from Baku. It was from the ATS in Baku. A girl was crying and said, "There’s a massacre in Baku." The connection was suddenly lost. After a few minutes, the call came again. They asked if this was the home of Khazar Isayev. I said yes, and the voice on the other side, crying, said, "There’s a massacre here. Some people are being thrown into the sea, some are being buried. Your brother has passed away. Please come quickly and take the body away." When I heard this news, the phone dropped from my hand. I left immediately. However, when I reached Sulutepe, they didn’t allow us to enter the city. Later, I traveled with my father-in-law and other elders by train to Baku. Mushfig had many positive qualities in his character. He always wanted to be a role model. When people referred to him as "Khazar's brother," he didn’t accept it. He would say, "I want to be known by my own name." And so it was. I’ve named my son after him. Even though today I am a world-renowned athlete and hold certain positions, I am most proud of being Mushfig’s brother.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
